


Light My Fire

by lil_1337



Category: FAKE (Manga)
Genre: Arson, Case Fic, Discussion of mental illness, Get Together, Humor, M/M, Pining, Sarcasm, Spoilers for Like Like Love and Season 2, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 22:50:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6539698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set soon after Second Season 3  The SCUI catches a case that pairs Drake and JJ once again forcing Drake to finally take a good, hard, look at himself and what he really wants from his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light My Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Graphics for the fic cover can be found here: http://amanivuote.livejournal.com/8380.html

“We’ve caught a case.” JJ dropped down into the chair that sat to the right of Drake’s desk, folder in hand. 

“We?” Drake pulled back in surprise. They had not worked a case together since JJ had been recruited into the SCUI. Well, not directly together, since it wasn’t uncommon for the whole unit to be working on a single case depending on the size and scope involved. “I thought you were Dee’s back up partner.” 

“I am.” JJ face lit up with a hopeful smile that twisted like a knife in Drake’s gut. “But The Commander has him and Ryo on some kind of a special project. So, it’s just you and me like the old times at the 27th.” 

“Like old times.” Drake forced himself to smile even though his heart wasn’t in it. Old times, before JJ kissed him. Before he said they should go on a date to fix their broken love lives. Before Drake panicked and ran like the coward he was. Before he realized that he regretted his decision more than anything he had ever done, but it was too late to do anything about it now. He was just going to have to live with it like he did all his other poor life choices. “What is it?” He asked forcing his attention back on work and out of the mud hole it wanted to wallow in. 

“Serial arson. No deaths so far.” 

“That’s a change.” Drake grimaced as he said it. Their last case had been brutal and even though Dee had taken the brunt of the emotional impact none of them had escaped completely unscathed. Knowing that children were being murdered so their organs could be harvested tended to touch you on a primal, survival of the species, level no matter what you felt about kids in general.

JJ nodded his agreement, his smile bright and genuine. “I hope it stays that way. It would be a nice change.” 

Drake leaned back in his chair reminding himself that this was a temporary partnership and it meant nothing other than he and JJ being assigned to work a case together. JJ was always happy, always smiling, it was part of who he was not a reaction to working with Drake. “What do we know so far?” 

“Not much.” JJ opened the folder and set it down on Drake’s desk after first moving a mostly empty Styrofoam coffee cup and a bag that had contained a bagel earlier in the day. “There have been four fires so far. Two were set eighteen months ago and two just recently.” 

“Are we sure they’re connected? That is a big time gap.” 

“They’re in the same area and the way the fires were set is the same so as of this point Arson was working under the assumption that they were connected. If we find evidence that says otherwise we can revisit it.”

“Okay.” Drake was willing to accept that as a working theory as long as there was room to revise if needed. Flexible thinking and being able to see patterns were two of the key things you needed to be successful as a detective. 

“I thought we would go check out the recent sites. The older ones have already been torn down and cleared away so there isn’t any point. We’ll have to depend on the crime scene photos. I’ll even drive.” JJ grinned again and Drake couldn’t help returning it even if he still more than a little off balance. If they were going to be working together then Drake needed to figure out a way to get back to the easy camaraderie of the aforementioned old times even if what he really wanted was new ones.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Drake watched, amused and annoyed, as JJ carefully picked his way through the burnt out hulk of the abandoned warehouse. The ground was still wet and in places puddles, dark with ash and floating pieces of debris, spread across the pitted cement floor. Drake looked down at his own scuffed and worn dress shoes then shot a glance back at JJ who was now squatting to examine something on the floor. More than likely JJ's footwear was made from some kind of expensive leather and probably hand tooled by native craftsmen from a country that Drake had never even heard of. A magical place known only to true shoe connoisseurs. Normally Drake was comfortable with his off the rack suits and clearance table ties, but lately, at least when he was around JJ, he couldn't help feeling that his wardrobe seemed a little threadbare and as well as somewhat lacking in the style department. 

Shaking off that thought and the winding path of self recrimination and longing it tried to lead him down, Drake made his way to where JJ was still studying the ground, a look of intense concentration creating frown lines on his brow. “Find something?” 

JJ shook his head, his eyes sharp and intense like when he was looking through the scope of a rifle. “I was trying to trace the path of the fire. The arson investigator's report said there a primary ignition point which triggered three secondaries.” He paused, shifting slightly, the toes of his pristine saddle shoes edging dangerously close to a sludgy puddle. “This looks like the primary ignition spot with the secondaries up against each of the walls.” 

Drake frowned, considering JJ's assessment and putting it together with his own. “This was set by someone who knew what they were doing. Most likely a pro.”

“Yep.” JJ stood in one smooth motion, brushing the non-existent grime from his perfectly tailored slacks. “The good news is that professionals have signatures and styles which makes it easier to tie them to their work.” 

“If this isn't his first fire.” Drake forced himself to focus on the conversation instead of the fact that JJ was gently adjusting the lay of his tie. The way his fingers were sliding up the hand painted silk tugging this way then that was more than a little distracting. 

“It's not.” JJ's confidence left no room for argument so Drake let it stand. Time would prove him right or wrong and until they had more facts it was pointless to argue about something neither one could prove. Instead, he shifted gears to something they could both agree on. “Do you want to stop for lunch before we head over to the next scene? That deli that you like is on the way.” 

“Luciano's?” JJ eyes lit up, trading their laser point focus for something more akin to a kid anticipating a trip to the candy store. “Really? You said you'd never go back unless someone else was paying because they were pretentious and overpriced.” He paused, eyes narrowing. “Is this your way of telling me that I'm buying lunch?” 

“They are and no, not this time.” Drake couldn't hold back the smile, JJ's excitement was just too contagious. “You keep telling me I need to try new things so I'm willing to give it another shot since we're here.” Making your partner happy made for a better working relationship Drake told himself firmly; pointedly ignoring the grinning devil on his shoulder that was singing _Drake and JJ sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g_ at the top of it's impish lungs. This was definitely going to be one of those days where Drake would happily choke the life out of his own brain if he could figure out a way to do it. 

“Drake! Are you coming?” Drake startled, surprised to see that JJ was already half way across the main room and heading quickly towards the large metal roll up door. Spacing out was not helping prove his point one little bit. Then again, Drake wasn’t sure who was trying to convince. After all, it wasn’t like JJ had any idea about the war going on in Drake’s head. 

The devil smirked and sniggered, swiveling its hips in a blatantly obscene way, before disappearing, leaving Drake hurrying after his partner, simultaneously scowling and blushing like a schoolgirl. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“What do you think?” JJ studied Drake over the rim of his cup, his eyes twinkling. The deli was busy, filled with a mixture of tourists taking a break from shopping and workers from the near by shops. They had managed to grab one of the few tables clustered under the stylish sidewalk awning, avoiding the hassle of taking the food back to the car and eating it there. 

Drake frowned, considering, as he finished chewing. “The sandwich is good, I'll give you that. The ham is almost sweet and I like the cheese you said to try. What did you call it again?” 

“Havarti.” JJ grinned and gestured for Drake to continue.

 

“The pasta salad is kind of vinegary though and there is too much onion. I still think...” He trailed off, frown deepening as the grin on JJ's face grew. “What?” 

“I had meant the case.” JJ laughed, his expression softening into one of fond amusement as he pointed to the case file where it lay on the table between them. It was ensconced in new folder that was still shiny with corners that had not yet become dogeared from wear. A light breeze tugged at the cover, but did not have the strength to pull it open with the weight of the papers clipped to it holding it down.”Though I'm glad to see that you are thinking about what you're eating instead of just inhaling it. I might make a foodie out of you yet.” 

“Oh.” Drake blushed, chuckling ruefully at himself. That, he told himself, was one of the many reasons that it would never work between them. Half the time they weren't even having the same conversation. “We don't really know that much yet. We still have one more scene and the pictures of two others to check out along with all the reports from Arson to look at.” 

“There isn't much.” JJ gestured to file indicating its meager height. “That's everything on all four of the fires. Arson was just starting to dig into it when The Boss decided we should take over. Once the word came down they quit because they didn't want to duplicate efforts while the paperwork was being processed.” 

“Sounds about right, the lazy bastards.” Drake grumbled. He gently pushed his dish of pasta salad towards the middle of the table, wrinkling his nose at the scent that wafted up from it.

“We did the same thing not too long ago.” JJ chuckled then took a surprisingly large bite of his hot pastrami sandwich. He chewed slowly then dabbed at the corner of his mouth wiping away a tiny bit of mustard that lingered there. “Nobody wants to do all the work and not get to be the one to put the perp away. Even if you get some of the credit it still stings.” 

With a grudging nod of agreement Drake conceded the point. It didn't matter what department you were with, having someone else step in and take over sucked hardcore. Especially if you had been working the case for a while and were making decent headway. He understood that on a the most basic level, but it was still annoying as hell now that he was on the other side of the equation. “I guess.” He sighed, forcing himself to decline the engraved invitation to a pity party in his honor complete with a buffet and string quartet.

“The other place is pretty close so it shouldn't take long to check it out.” JJ leaned over, his hand holding his tie up off the table, and speared a piece of artichoke heart from Drake's pasta salad. With a cheeky grin that made him look much younger than he was he popped it into his mouth. He chewed once then pursed his lips, squeezing his eyes closed. A sound of intense displeasure squeaked out from between his lips and he grabbed his cup, draining it before setting it back down next to his plate. “That was awful. You weren't kidding about the vinegar.” He blinked several times before a slow, pleased, grin lit his features. “There is hope for your palate after all. That was the worst pasta salad I’ve ever eaten.” JJ made another face, adding a full body shudder for emphasis before returning his attention back to his sandwich. 

Drake pushed down the thrill of pleasure at the compliment and filed away the image of JJ shuddering to examine when he was not in public, on the job, or anywhere in the vicinity of the man himself. Judging by the heavy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach he was going to need some serious alone time when he did; a problem he was having more and more since JJ had been recruited into the SCUI. Seeing and interacting with him every day was wrecking havoc with Drake’s ability to pretend the kiss he and JJ had shared meant nothing. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Leaning back in his chair Drake sighed and scrubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. He'd spent most of the morning scouring both the local and interstate data bases looking for cases with similarities to the one he and JJ were investigating. So far he had hit on Five. Two were from New Jersey, over ten years old and still unsolved. A serial arsonist well known to the police who was currently serving seven consecutive sentences had been tied to two of the others and the final case was connected to a turf war between rival drug dealers. He'd copied the information from all of the cases into a word document to follow up on later even though his gut said that chasing them down would be a waste of his time. There was nothing he liked better than following questionable leads down dead end alleys except maybe walking barefoot over broken glass then bathing his feet in rubbing alcohol. 

He ran his hands through his hair then rolled his shoulders trying to ease some of the stiffness that was starting to settle in. A pale blue cup from the coffee shop down the street appeared in front of his face and Drake made a grab for it not caring who his benefactor was or what strings might be attached. Mindful of the heat coming through the heavy paper he brought it to his face, sniffing the heady scent of dark roast before clutching it to his chest like a drowning man with a life preserver. “Two sugars?” He looked up hopefully, his smile widening when he saw JJ. 

“Yes and a dusting of cinnamon.” JJ took a sip from his own cup and smiled. “Just the way you like it.” 

“You're my hero.” Reluctantly Drake shuffled a stack of files to make a space large enough to set the cup down without the risk of spilling it. “Thank you. The day is looking a lot better now.” 

JJ beamed, his whole body radiating happiness. “You've been working really hard without a break or complaining. I thought that deserved a reward.” He set down his cup on the corner of his own desk and pulled a pastry bag from his pocket. “Also, they had blueberry scones.” He leaned forward, offering the bag only to have it snatched away before Drake's hand touched the plain brown paper. 

“Blueberry's my favorite.” Dee crowed, attempting to stuff his face in the bag while simultaneously taking a deep breath to inhale the fresh baked scent. “Thanks, JJ.” He grinned, pointedly ignoring the displeased look that Ryo was sending his way.

“Sorry, Studly.” JJ plucked the bag from Dee's hand, returning it to Drake in a single fluid motion. “That one belongs to Drake. He's not slacked off at all today and I'm very proud of him.” JJ shifted, turning slightly and picked up the bag that lay next to his coffee. “You can have mine though if you want it.” 

Dee flashed his sexiest smile, still ignoring his partner's deepening look of censure. “As long as it’s blueberry I don’t care whose it is.” 

“Dee! That's rude. Give it back.” From the hands on his hips to the not so subtly taping toe Ryo was the personification of storm clouds about to rain all over someone’s parade. 

“But, babe, he gave it to me. You keep telling me I should be nicer to JJ.” Dee's look was the perfect mixture of hurt and surprise. It would have been completely convincing to anyone who didn't know him. Unfortunately for him Ryo did not even come close to falling into that category. 

“Only because you stole Drake's. I'm serious, Dee. Give it back.” His tone softened as the puppy eyes and soft pout made an appearance. “We can stop at the coffee shop and get you one on our way over to see Diana.”

“Coffee too?” 

“Yes.” Ryo chuckled as Dee handed back the bag. JJ accepted it graciously, his starry eyed fanboy look having morphed into something that resembled genuine affection. As Dee and Ryo made their way across the crowded room JJ’s gaze rested on Ryo instead of following Dee as it usually did when he was in anywhere in the vicinity. 

“He's good for Dee.” The words were spoken so softly that Drake wasn't sure he'd actually heard them at first. Swiveling in his chair, Drake turned so that he had JJ in three quarters profile, noting the frown that crinkled his forehead and the sad look in his eyes. “I used to think he was being mean, but he isn’t. He’s a civilizing influence.” The serious look was gone from JJ’s face in the space of an instant and his normal, cheerful countenance was back. “It’s good thing because this whole squad could use some civilizing..” 

“Yeah.” Drake grinned. “Though we don’t shave and get ready for work in the bathroom anymore.” 

“Well, that’s progress.” JJ chuckled, amusement plain in his voice. “Now we just need to work on getting Ted into a suit instead of a hoodie and t-shirt.” 

Drake snorted, turning back to face his monitor and precious coffee that was now cool enough to sip. “That’s never going to happen, but you’re welcome to try.” The sound of JJ’s laughter wrapped itself around him and Drake settled back to work feeling happier and more energized than he had been all day.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

An insistent buzzing pulled Drake from a dream where he and Dee were racing across the Brooklyn bridge in just their underwear to decide who would be JJ's date for the winter formal. Cursing roundly and consciously avoiding analyzing what the dream might mean he slapped the snooze button on the clock twice before realizing that it was not the source of the sound. Silence reigned for a moment before the noise began again. This time he was coherent enough to recognize it as the ring tone on his cell phone. Now, a bit more awake, he spotted the rectangle of light that came from the touch screen of his mobile. 

Slapping at the buttons on the bottom of the screen he managed to accept the call before mumbling an almost incoherent greeting. 

“Drake, it's JJ. There was another fire. I'm on my way to pick you up.” 

“Wha time 'z it?” Drake blinked several times trying to force his eyes open and shake off the unsettled feeling that lingered behind from the dream. For a brief moment he wondered if he was still asleep, but he quickly dismissed the possibility because he had yet to have any dreams that JJ actually appeared in. That and the call was too logical to be part of the messed up dream scape he had just been pulled loose from. 

“Just shy of four.” When this declaration was met with silence JJ continued on. “Get up and put on some pants. I'll be there in fifteen minutes with coffee so we can get to the scene. We might be able to get some more clues from a fresh fire.”

Drake startled, panic and annoyance battling for dominance as he realized that he had drifted off while JJ was talking. “What?” He mumbled forcing his face up off the pillow so that he could hear and speak clearer. “Who's on fire?” 

“No one's on fire. There's been another fire and we are going to the scene.” There was annoyance layered with amusement in JJ voice though he spoke slowly, carefully enunciating each word. 

“Oh, okay.” Drake relaxed back onto the mattress. “I'll be in tomorrow.” 

“Now, Drake.” The annoyance in JJ's voice was definitely stronger now and the words were spoken in JJ’s police officer voice. “I swear if you aren't up and dressed when I get there I will drag you out of bed and dress you myself.” 

JJ's words and an accompanying visual hit Drake like a bucket of ice cold water and he jerked up tangling himself in the sheet and blankets as he did so. Somehow, in the process of attempting to extract himself from his bedclothes he managed to disconnect the call. Angry at himself and at being pulled out of his nice warm bed Drake set the phone down on the bedside table harder than he intended to. Cringing at the sound he picked it back up and examined it closely for damage. He’d invested quite a bit of money into his phone and he really didn’t want to have to replace it any time soon. Finding none he set it back down before forcing himself to throw back the covers and crawl out of bed. 

The air in the apartment was chilly and Drake shivered as he made his way to the bathroom. Once inside he turned on the light and stood blinking stupidly until his eyes adjusted to the change in brightness. He splashed water on his face bringing about a bit more awareness then ran his damp fingers through his hair in an half hearted attempt to tame his cowlick. The success of his grooming was on par with the effort he put into it and after a moment he gave up. It was cold enough outside that he would be wearing a hat anyway so no one was going to know if his hair was combed or not. 

He stumbled back into his bedroom, flipping on the light as he considered his clothes. The thought of putting on a suit held no appeal despite the fact that he was heading for a crime scene. In the end he settled for a button down shirt and tie with jeans and boots. It wasn't quite regulation, but who cared? He was being yanked out of his bed in the dead of night so if anyone complained they could go fuck themselves. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The warehouse was still smoldering when JJ pulled into the lot and parked on the far side of the fire trucks. The huge standing spot lights illuminated the area as the firefighters took a breather before making a final check to be sure that there were no remaining hot spots that might flare back into life. The building itself was old and had been fairly decrepit even before the flames had taken their toil on it. The roof was gone, having collapsed inward, and two of the four walls had charred holes where the fire had eaten its way through the wooden slats.

As they were getting out of the car the structure gave a high pitched moan of overstressed metal before it toppled in on itself in slow motion. The impulsion filled the air with smoke, dust and bits of debris. The smaller particles hung, suspended in time and space, as the larger ones rained down on the firefighters. Through the haze the captain shouted an order for everyone to retreat back beyond the range of the fall out. After she had made sure that all of her crew were safe she separated from them, heading over to where Drake and JJ were loitering by JJ’s car.

“Sorry gentlemen, but this area is off limits. You’ll have to leave.” She smiled though the tone of her voice spoke of years of command. 

“We’re with SCUI.” JJ flipped open his badge case and held it out, giving her plenty of time to look over both his badge and identification. “I’m Detective Adams and this is Detective Parker.” Drake nodded and offered his badge and identification for her scrutiny as well. 

“What can I do for you gentlemen?” She tucked her helmet under her arm and ran a hand through her short red curls. 

“We’re investigating a series of arson fires in the area.” JJ paused letting her fill in from there. 

She smiled slightly, exhaustion starting to show on her face, then put her fingers to her lips and whistled, loud and piercing. “Hitchcock, Pierson, Smith - front and center.” 

Three men broke away from the group milling around by the trucks and trotted over. “Ma’am?” The oldest of the three, if his salt and pepper hair was anything to go by, spoke while the other two arranged themselves to right and slightly behind him. 

“This is Detectives Adams and Parker from the SCUI and they want to ask you some questions. I expect you to answer them as completely and honestly as if I was the one asking.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” They answered her as one with an echo of each voice clear. 

She nodded then turned to Drake and JJ. “Hitchcock is my squad leader.” She pointed to the older man who had spoken first. He nodded and smiled tiredly. “Pierson is his second. He’s shy, but you can probably get him to talk a bit.” Pierson, a large framed black man, grinned, his eyes dancing. His handshake was firm with a controlled strength that said he had nothing to prove. “The baby over there is Smith. He’s a candidate, but we don’t hold that against him.” Smith, who did indeed look like the baby the captain had called him nodded solemnly. He carried himself with an air of cautious reserve that did nothing to detract from the attractiveness of his features. 

“As Captain...” JJ paused looking askance at the captain. 

“Martinelle.” 

JJ smiled a thank you before returning his attention to the three men. “As Captain Martinelle said my partner and I have a few questions. I know you’re all tired so we won’t take up much of your time.” 

Drake nodded, happy to let JJ take the lead and run with it as his head was definitely much clearer. Plus it gave him time to watch his partner without anyone wondering about it. Like Drake, JJ had chosen to go with something much more casual that his usual suit and tie. His tasteful plaid coat covered a pair of tailored tan slacks and a cable knit sweater the color of fresh cream. Fortunately, once they had stepped out into the cold JJ had buttoned up his coat as well as pulling on a hat and gloves because Drake wasn’t sure how long he could have resisted touching the sweater to see if was as soft as it looked. He could have claimed sleep deprivation or lust marinated brain, but neither was much of a defense for fondling another detective in the middle of questioning witnesses. Dee might be able to get away with that kind of crap, but Drake was no Dee; something he was already all too aware of.

“We were the first three in.” Hitchcock was speaking, but there was no sign of disagreement from the other two men. “The primary fire was in the middle of the building up against the main support post. There were three secondaries on each of the walls where there was not a door. We did a quick sweep to make sure no one was in the building then got the hell out of there. I’m surprised the damn thing stayed up as long as it did.” 

JJ nodded, jotting a few notes on his pad. “In your opinion was this arson?” 

“Couldn’t say for sure, not until there’s been an investigation, but that’d be my guess.” Hitchcock exchanged a look with Pierson and Smith who both nodded in agreement. 

“Was there anything that stood out?”

“This probably doesn’t mean anything.” Smith frowned, thoughtful. “More than likely it is just my imagination, but I remember thinking that the fire looked like a set of boxes.” He sketched a picture in the air of a square with two enclosed boxes on one side and one on the other. “I guess it could be an open window too depending on how you look at it.” 

“Can you draw it for me?” JJ handed smith his pen and pad then waited, watching intensely as the young man sketched out what he had seen. 

“Thank you.” JJ studied the drawing for a minute before handing it over to Drake. “We have your names if we have any follow up questions.” He pulled some of his business cards out of his pocket and handed one to each of the men as well as Captain Martinelle. “If you think of anything else please feel free to call. My office and cell phone numbers are on the card.” 

“Good luck detectives. I hope you catch who ever is doing this.” Gravely she shook JJ’s then Drake’s hand. 

“So do we.” JJ tucked his notebook and pen back into his pocket, nodding at Drake as he started back across the parking lot. In a whisper that was just barely audible he added. “Hopefully before somebody dies.” 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Drake poked unenthusiastically at his cup of soup. It looked less appealing now that it was filled with hot water and steeping than it had in its fully dehydrated state. Leaning his head on one hand he stirred it with a plastic spoon. What he wanted more than anything was to crawl into his bed and sleep the clock around, but that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. He would have loved a good meal too, something warm and substantial. Unfortunately, JJ, his usual go to for lunch, had decided to spend his lunch hour running errands. Even his normal second choice, Dee and Ryo, were out of the office. 

It wasn’t like Drake couldn’t haul his sorry ass down to the coffee shop on the corner. In fact there were at least half a dozen different places to eat within a couple of blocks. He even had money in his pocket for a change. The problem was he was so exhausted the idea of making the walk was enough to make him want to curl up in a ball and sob like a little boy until someone put him down for a nap.

Instead, here he was in the break room with a lunch that he had managed to cobble together out of his desk drawer and the vending machine. Pushing the Styrofoam cup to the side Drake listlessly picked at the plastic wrap around the package of peanut butter and cheese crackers he’d found at the bottom of a drawer along with three Hershey’s kisses. They’d been the first and, most likely, the best part of his meal. With a few more tugs the wrapper gave way, splitting open along the back seam. He pulled one of the crackers out and studied it before taking a small bite. It was surprisingly good so he finished it off and reached for a second. 

“Wakey, wakey, eggs and bacey.” Ted’s voice held more than a hint of humor.

Drake startled, surprised that he had managed to fall asleep sitting up in the middle of the lunchtime bustle. He shook his head then made a gesture towards the empty chairs at his table. “I’m awake. I was just resting my eyes.” 

Jim snorted as he slid into the chair on Drake’s left. “Of course you were. That’s why you were snoring.” He pulled a sandwich, chips, and a bottle of soda out of his battered lunchbox then set it on the floor next to his chair. 

“I was not.” Drake made a face at the medical examiner and popped another cracker into his mouth. 

“Sure you weren’t.” On Drake’s other side Ted set a bag from a local burger chain down along with a bottle of water before dropping heavily into his seat. “You just keep telling yourself that.” He took a long drink from his water then removed a burger and fries from his bag. When he had emptied it of the remaining napkins and ketchup packets he wadded it into a ball and tossed it at the nearest trash can. It bounced off the wall and landed on the floor next to the bin. 

“Don’t give up your day job.” Jim smirked as he opened his chips. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Ted got up and went over to where his bag lay. He picked it up and backed up a couple of steps before landing it in the can with a perfect jump shot. “I’m a better shot that half the guys on The Knicks right now.” 

“Can’t argue with that.” Jim grinned at Drake. “Can we?” There was silence for a moment before Jim picked up the thread of conversation when Drake failed to respond beyond a single shake of his head. “We should go out drinking tonight.” 

“Why?” Ted swallowed the bite of burger he was chewing. “Not that I need a reason. I was just wondering.” 

“Three words.” Jim raised a finger as he said each one. “Wednesday night specials. Besides, we haven’t gone out for at least a week.” 

Ted considered, chewing slowly then shrugged his shoulders. “Okay. I can always go for a beer.” He nudged Drake, bumping their shoulders together. “Are you going? I’m going to need help pouring Jim into a cab.” 

Drake shook his head, reaching for his now lukewarm soup. “No. The only place I want to go is my bed. The sooner the better.” He took a tentative sip and cringed, the strong flavor of salt overrode the faint hint of chicken. The noddles were soggy and fell apart in his mouth before he had a chance to chew. He set his spoon down and grabbed a couple of the packets of ketchup that Ted had left untouched next to his fries. As Ted and Jim watched in horrified disgust Drake emptied them into his soup. 

“That is so gross!” Ted drew back, pulling his food with him as if it could be contaminated just by being in the vicinity of Drake’s concoction. 

Shrugging, Drake dipped his spoon in and stirred before taking a taste of the soup which was now the color of cheap store brand orange drink. The tang of tomato overpowered everything else though it did nothing to improve the noodles or the gritty texture of the reconstituted meat bits. “Ketchup makes everything better.” 

“You’re a classy guy, Parker.” Jim laughed as he scrunched up his chip bag. With one deft move he tossed it towards the trash can, bouncing it off the rim and in. 

With a grin that showed exhaustion around the edges Drake toasted Jim with his cup of soup before bringing it to his lips and taking a long drink. 

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
“There you are, Mouse.” 

Drake looked up to see a gorgeous dark haired man in a camel hair coat making his way across the room on a beeline for JJ. His gaze was locked onto his target and it was clear that he had no interest in anyone or anything else. 

“Jake!” JJ jumped up from his desk and hurried to meet his visitor half way. “What are you doing here?” They embraced briefly and JJ planted a quick kiss on Jake’s cheek. When he pulled back they grinned at each other in a show of obvious affection. 

“You were up and out so early this morning I didn’t get a chance to say good morning or tell you how much I enjoyed last night. I might have to make sure that my car breaks down more often so I have an excuse to stay in town overnight.” 

“You know you don’t need an excuse.” JJ chuckled and pulled away so that he could lead Jake over to his desk. He plopped into his chair and gestured for Jake to make himself comfortable in one that sat beside it. “It was my pleasure even if you kept me from getting my usual eight hours of beauty sleep.” 

“That was your fault, Mouse, not mine. You’re the one who kept saying one more round.” Jake made himself comfortable in the chair, lounging in it as if it had plush cushions instead of faded wooden slats. With one hand he undid the buttons on his coat while the other made expansive hand movements to accent his words. His coat fell open to reveal a dark blue suit of a silky material that molded to him in all the right ways. Drake found himself wondering how much it cost and if it would fit him the same way. Not that it mattered because most likely it was so far out of his price range he couldn’t even see it if he was looking through binoculars. 

“I don’t remember you arguing or complaining.” JJ’s voice held more than a hint of teasing as well as something that Drake couldn’t quite figure out. 

Jake laughed, warm and genuine. “Very true, you do bring out the worst in me.” 

JJ snorted, his laughter blending in perfectly. “I think you have that backwards.” 

“Nope.” Jake’s grin morphed into a smirk for the space of a second before settling back into something more neutral. “I had planned to take you out for breakfast this morning since I know how much you love the Belgium waffles at Suttlers, but then you slipped out like a thief in the night without so much as a handshake or a goodbye kiss. So, I thought I would try for dinner instead. There is a new sushi place not too far from here that is getting rave reviews.” He paused, his grin widening again. “I made reservations for six o’clock so we can just make it if we leave in the next ten minutes.” 

JJ’s eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store. “Yoshiro’s? Oh, God, yes! I was planning to try it this weekend if I could talk mom into it.” 

“Well, now you can let her know if it is worth making the trip into the city or not.” 

“I was just about to go home anyway, so yes. Yes!” JJ turned slightly in his seat to start the process of logging out and shutting down his computer. His gaze went to Drake then Ted, both of whom were watching the interchange with unabashed interest. JJ blushed, eyes flickering back to Jake. “Sorry for being rude. Jake, this is Ted and Drake. Guys, this is Jake Palmer.” 

Jake shifted in his seat, smiling and giving Ted a nod of acknowledgement before turning his attention to Drake. “So, you’re the infamous Drake Parker that Mouse is always talking about. It’s good to be able to put a face to the name. We should…” 

He paused, grinning when JJ cut him off, blushing. “No. you shouldn’t. Not ever.” JJ jumped to his feet and grabbed his coat, not bothering to wait until his computer was completely shut down. “We should go. Now.” Tugging Jake to his feet JJ hustled him across the room towards the exit. At the door Jake slowed, and turned to look back over his shoulder, shooting Drake an evil smirk and a wink before letting JJ drag him out of sight. 

With a groan Drake let his head fall forward until he face planted onto the open file on his desk. He didn’t know what was worse, that JJ obviously had a rich, gorgeous boyfriend or that said boyfriend was all too aware of Drake’s interest in JJ. Screw sleep, what he really needed right now was to drown his sorrows in a beer... or ten. Most likely followed by some bad life choices that he would undoubtedly live to regret.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“What the hell is your problem?” Dee used his beer bottle to point at Drake, pinning him with a look as he took a swig. “You’re as much of a buzz kill as finding a hole in your last condom.” 

Ryo choked, his cheeks going a bright red. “Dee!” 

“What?” Dee took another drink then set the half empty bottle down on the table in front of him. “He’s hardly said two words to anyone. The house ape would be better company.” 

“Fuck you, Dee.” Drake looked up from where he had been staring fixedly into his beer. “You don’t know shit about me or my life.” The morose look that had taken up seemingly permanent residence on his face was gone, replaced by something darker and a lot less pleasant. “Everything is so fucking easy for you. You just snap your fingers and whatever you want is yours.” He stood abruptly, bumping into the table and rattling the glasses. “Some of us aren’t that goddamn lucky.” Throwing a handful of wadded bills down he turned and marched away, weaving a little unsteadily, but still surprisingly solid on his feet given the lack of sleep and amount alcohol he had put away. 

Outside, chill fall air hit him like a solid force and he paused long enough to pull on his coat and hat. The gloves took a little longer as they required more fine muscle control and he was somewhat lacking in that department at the moment. 

“Do you want to tell me what that was all about?” Drake spun, almost falling in the process as his legs tangled up underneath him, to find Ryo standing behind and slightly to the left. Instinct made Drake grab for the wall and hang on as Ryo helped steady him until he had regained his footing. 

“No.” He muttered, the anger in his gut starting to cool now that he was no longer in Dee’s presence. Part of him knew he was being unfair. It wasn’t like Dee had done anything to encourage JJ attentions. Just the opposite in fact. Plus, it wasn’t Dee that had swooped in and whisked JJ away earlier either. There was just something about knowing that Dee could have what Drake wanted and actively worked to avoid it that was pushing all of his buttons in a big way. 

“I don’t mind listening.” Ryo’s smile was genuine and for the flash of a second Drake hated him, but the moment passed leaving an empty feeling curling in his gut. Ryo frowned and shifted so that he was leaning against the wall. “Something is bothering you. You haven’t been yourself for the last couple of months. Not since…” He paused, eyes narrowing as he put the pieces together much quicker than Drake was comfortable with. Ryo was a damn good detective and Drake sometimes forgot that. The calculating look was nothing compared to the understanding and compassion that replaced it. That hit Drake where he lived and made the anger rise again though it was quickly overtaken with by a huge helping of self pity. 

“It doesn’t matter.” Drake heard the words coming out of his mouth and though he’d had no intention of talking to Ryo he didn’t seem to be capable of stopping them either. “I don’t have nice suits, or muscles or eat in expensive restaurants.” He slumped against the wall, all the fight draining out of him.

Ryo smiled, soft and kind. “I could take you shopping if you want. I know a couple of shops where you can get decent clothes at a price that won’t kill you.” 

“You’d do that?” Drake smiled, tentatively, a bit of light coming back into his eyes as he considered the possibilities.

“Of course.” Ryo nodded. “We’re friends and that is what friends do. They help out when you need them.” 

Drake chuckled, a bit of his normal humor starting to return. “Usually we just hang out and watch sports or drink beer. Sometimes go to lunch, but that is about it. I’ve never gone shopping with any of them, At least not for clothes.” 

“It will be a new experience then,” Ryo squeezed Drake’s shoulder. “I’ll pick you up at eight on Saturday. We need to get out there before all the bargains are gone.” 

The thought of getting up early on a Saturday morning was a painful one, but Drake was willing to make the sacrifice this time. Especially since Ryo was being so helpful. Moments like this was when he earned his reputation as a sort of father figure for the unit. “I’ll be ready.” He replied, pushing off from the wall to stand; surprised to find that he was looking forward to it. There was no way that he would ever be able to compete with Jake, but maybe if he could at least get JJ to look at him in a different way Drake might have the beginnings of a chance. Either way, he was doing something besides sitting and moping and that felt good.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Drake dropped into his chair and ran a hand through his untamed bed head, ignoring the pointed look that Ted shot his way. He knew he was late and having Ted remind him of the fact did nothing to improve his already less than stellar mood. Despite the beer he had drunk sleep had been slow in coming and his alarm had sounded way too early. Hitting the snooze button hadn't helped either, it had just made him feel more exhausted when he finally, through sheer force of will, forced himself up out of bed. 

In the middle of his desk was the report on the previous night’s fire. The crisp manila folder stood out against the flotsam and detritus that covered most of the stained and chipped top. JJ must have already looked it over and left it for Drake to read. Between the pounding in his head and the way that the world seemed to swim in and out of focus the idea of trying to make sense of the squiggles that were trying to masquerade small black words was the last thing that Drake wanted to consider doing. 

“The boss was looking for you.” Ted spun his chair to the right so he was looking straight at Drake. “I told him you were running an errand for Dee and would be in late.”

“Thanks.” Drake's attention stayed glued to the, as of yet, unopened folder. “Any idea what he wanted?”

“He said something about getting an update on your case. Lunch is on you and no place cheap either. I want real food.” Ted’s grin took on a wolfish edge knowing that he had Drake in a position where he had no choice but to agree. 

“You’re going to have to wait until tomorrow then because I’m all tapped out. I’m going to have to hit JJ up for lunch today as it is.” At Ted’s disapproving look Drake shrugged. “That’s what happens when I let you and Jim talk me into going on drinking. My money just disappears.” 

Ted rolled his eyes, but make a gesture of acquiescence. “Okay, but I’m holding you to that. I don’t remember anyone having to talk you into anything. You were the one who came looking for us after work and insisted you wanted to go after your whole I’m too tired speech at lunch.”

“Yeah, I had a crappy day.” Drake closed his eyes, trying to block out the sound of JJ’s voice saying how much he had enjoyed having Jake spend the night with him. Drake had been a fool to think that he might have had a chance. Just because JJ was beginning to get over Dee again didn’t mean that he would be interested in getting involved with Drake. 

“I hear ya.” Ted smiled sympathetically. “Speaking of which JJ is in with The Boss. I told him I’d send you in when you got here.” 

“Shit.” Drake stood, pushing his chair back, swaying for a moment before he regained his sense of equilibrium. “I better get in there or I'll never hear the end of it.” 

“Yep. Slacker.” Ted chuckled and turned back to face his computer monitor. His attention already drawn back to the research he was working on.

The door to Commander Kaito’s office was almost closed so Drake knocked lightly before letting himself in. “Ted said you were looking for me?” From the corner of his eye he could see JJ sitting in one of the chairs that clustered in front of the desk. 

“Yes.” Kaito paused, a pudding laden spoon halfway to his mouth. Carefully he used it to gesture to the chair next to JJ’s. “Have a seat. We just started. Detective Adams was just telling me that none of the buildings were insured by the same company, but he was still digging into the ownership of the buildings.”

“Thanks.” Drake settled himself in the seat, flashing JJ a quick smile before returning his attention to Kaito, who was scraping the last of his pudding out of the bottom of the cup. Sighing, he tossed the container into the trash and set the spoon on a napkin to the right of his blotter.

“You were saying Detective?” 

JJ cleared his throat and slid to the edge of his seat. “We’re still in the beginning stages of the investigation. We do know that the burn pattern in the warehouse last night is consist with what we saw in the other ones. There is a primary ignition point in the middle of the building that leads to three secondaries on the walls. Basically it forms two squares side by side with the other half of the structure left untouched until the fire spreads out.” 

“That seems inefficient if the purpose is to burn the building down ” Commander Kaito steepled his fingers and frowned. “Either your fire bug is stupid or he is not trying to destroy the whole building.”

“I don’t think he’s stupid.” JJ flipped open the folder on his lap and pulled out a set of photographs that he handed to Commander Kaito. “The areas that actually burned went up quickly and were destroyed almost completely.” He glanced briefly at Drake who nodded his agreement. “The unignited wall is always where the door is. He shouldn’t need to use it to get out since all the fires were set using timing devices, but there is definitely a pattern Maybe he likes to watch until the last minute, but if that is the case why the time delay? We still have a lot questions to answer at this point.” 

“Any luck with matching it up to an known arsonist?” 

Drake shook his head and sighed. “I checked all the databases and there were a couple of people who used similar materials or styles, but nothing that matches the pattern. I’ll run down the leads even though I don’t think it will get us anywhere.” 

“Good plan. You never know when a lead might take you some place you never expected.” He leaned back in his chair and favored them with a smile. “Good work so far, Detective Adams. Let me know if the insurance angle leads you anywhere. Detective Parker, follow up those leads. Even ruling out potential suspects is progress.” 

“Yes, sir.” JJ was on his feet, a bright smile on his face. “I’ll get right on that.” 

Drake was a little slower getting out of the chair, but nodded his agreement. “We’ll let you know if we find anything.” 

“See that you do.” Commander Kaito pinned each of them with a look before turning his chair in a gesture that clearly said he was finished with the conversation.

Drake and JJ exchanged a look then made their way out of the office to get back to work.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Drake set the receiver on his phone down with a sigh. “That was the detective from New Jersey. Their guy was in jail at the time of all of our fires and he’d never even been out of Newark let alone the state. No known associates either. At least not ones that like to set fires.” 

“Where does that leave us?” JJ turned away from his computer, giving Drake his full attention.

“With one guy left to check out since number three was a turf war and the guy who set it has an alibi for our recent fires.” Drake scrubbed a hand through his hair then quickly smoothed it down not wanting JJ to see him as the messy slacker that he was use to from the 27th. “The last guy has been in jail too, but I can’t get a hold of detective who handled the case. He’s retired and lives out in Idaho where apparently you don’t answer your phone or return calls. I think I might call Rikers and talk to the guy directly. See if he will tell me anything. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he will have had a protege or something.”

“That sounds like a good next step.” 

JJ’s attention was already drifting back to what he was working on and Drake allowed himself a moment to study his partner’s profile. There was a small frown wrinkling JJ’s forehead as he focused on whatever he was reading on the computer monitor. It made Drake want to reach over and smooth it out. While he admired JJ’s ability to focus and the intensity that went with it he preferred the smile and the happy go lucky attitude that everyone else seemed to find at least mildly annoying. Shaking himself mentally he turned back to his phone with a firm reprimand to focus on the case and keep his brain to himself. 

It took two calls, three transfers and a long hold for Drake to reach someone who could actually help him.

“Sorry to keep you waiting Detective.” The Deputy Warden’s voice was smooth and calm. “What can I help you with?” 

“I’m trying to track down one of your inmates. Jerry Lindstrum, but no one seems to be able to find him.” 

“What is his birthday and his date of incarceration?” Drake could hear keys tapping over the line.

“His birthday is October 6th 1970 and his date of incarceration is May 15th 1990.”

There was more tapping and then a sound of triumph. “I think I’ve found the problem. Mr. Lindstrum passed away two years ago. Massive heart attack. Apparently the guy just fell over in the yard one day.” 

“Damn it!” Drake swore. Not that he expected anything to come of it, but it was still frustrating. “Do you know if he had any visitors?” 

“Not that I can see here. There is a next of kin listed if that would be of help.” 

“That would be great. Thanks.” It wasn’t what he wanted by a long shot, but at least it was something. 

Drake wrote down the address and thanked the Deputy Warden before hanging up. 

“Any luck?” JJ asked when Drake set the receiver down. 

“Maybe. The guy died two years ago, but he had a wife so maybe she knows something. It’s worth the drive over to talk to her.” 

JJ nodded his agreement. “Do you want me to go with you?” 

“I think I can handle it. Thanks.” Drake smiled and stood so that he could pull on his coat. It was getting old and the hem was starting to fray, but as long as it kept him warm Drake was not about to buy a new one. As much as he would have enjoyed having JJ’s company what Drake really needed right now was some time away to get his brain focused back on the case instead of his partner.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The apartment building had probably been upscale in the forties, but it had seen a lot of life since then. The once beautiful brickwork was now stained and darkened from age and neglect. The yellowed linoleum in the lobby curled away from the wall in places exposing blackened cement underneath. Given the age and condition of the place Drake was not surprised to find a worn ‘out of order’ sign taped to the elevator. Especially since the apartment he was looking for was on the sixth floor. 

Surprisingly, the stairs were solid under his feet and here and there a spot of golden wood grain shone through the years of accumulated grime. Drake paused at the third and fifth floor landings to catch his breath. On his second stop he started thinking that maybe Ryo’s suggestion about hitting the gym had some merit beyond toning up and making himself look better. Not that he was in horrible shape or anything, but if he didn’t start doing something about it now he was going to end up that way. Newly motivated he took the stairs to next floor two at a time, pushing himself in a way he would normally avoid. 

From the outside, apartment 609 looked no different than the others; an off white door with cheap brass numbers nailed to it. As he pulled his shield from his pocket Drake mentally went over his notes. When he was sure of his facts he knocked on the door. There were sounds of movement inside and after a minute or so the door squeaked open as far as the chain bolt attached to the frame would let it. The sliver of face that showed through was surrounded by greasy steel gray locks that had fallen out of what appeared to be a sloppy bun. Judging from the wrinkles and set in lines the frown and slight squint were her default expressions. Startling dark green eyes peered out at Drake through large black horned rim glasses. 

“What do you want?” The attempt at a snarl came out low and breathless so it sounded more like a hiss at the end.

“Detective Parker ma’am, NYPD.” Drake showed his badge, leaving the case open until the woman’s gaze lifted from it back to his face. “I was wondering if I could ask you a couple of questions about your husband, Jerry.” 

“Ex-husband.” She corrected him with a glare.

“Ex-husband.” Drake agreed trying to stay on her good side in the hope that she might be more willing to cooperate. “Would it be alright if I came in for a few minutes so we could talk?” 

“No.” She pulled the door closer to her as if she suspected that Drake might try to force his way in. “If you got something to say then say it. I got soup heating on the stove.” 

“I won’t take up much of your time.” He smiled again, but she was not going to be charmed. “Would you happen to remember the names of any of Jerry’s friends or associates? From before?” 

“Jerry didn’t have friends and I never met any of his associates. Why’re you asking me this now? Jerry was in jail for a long time Right up until he died two years ago.”

Drake grimaced, letting her see his embarrassment and frustration. “The problem is, someone has been setting warehouses on fire and the style is similar to your...to Jerry’s.” 

“I wouldn’t know nothin’ about that.” Her already closed features shuttered tight and she pulled back. “Go away now, my soup is gonna burn.” With that she shut the door firmly, the sounds of several locks engaging followed almost immediately after. 

Sighing, Drake turned and headed back down the hallway towards the stairs. As he passed the door to apartment 601 it squeaked open.

“You a policeman young man?” 

Drake paused, backing up slowly so he could see who was speaking to him. The woman was probably as old as the one he had just spoken to though the differences were striking. While Jerry’s ex was small and shrunken in on herself as if everything but the bitterness had been sucked out of her. The resident of apartment 601 stood tall and proud with lines that said she had spent a good part of her life smiling. “Yes ma’am.” He smiled, hoping that he would not regret it. 

“Good.” She nodded, opening the door a little wider so that Drake was able to see that despite being old and not in the best condition her apartment was clean and well organized. “Are you here to see about Edith’s boy? I know that he hasn’t been out of the hospital for very long, but he’s still not well.” 

“What do you mean not well?” Drake chewed on the inside of his mouth. Commander Kaito was not going to be happy if he got himself mixed up in a child abuse case, but he wouldn’t be expected to walk away either.. 

“He’s sick, in his head. He walks around here talking to himself, and drawing shapes in the air. Some times he walks up and down the hallway lighting matches and using them like sparklers. I’m afraid he might set the building on fire. I complained to Mr. Edgars, the super, but that hasn’t made a lick of difference.” 

Drake frowned, pushing down the tingle in his stomach that said he was onto something. “Could you show me the shape he was making, Mrs…” He paused, allowing her a chance to fill in her name. 

“Ambersole. Margaret Ambersole though most people call me Marge.” She stuck out her hand and Drake took it, surprised at the firm grip of her shake. 

“Detective Parker. Nice to meet you Marge.” 

“You too.” She gave his hand another squeeze before letting go. “It’s not always the same thing, but most of the time it was something like this.” Slowly she sketched a box in the air then drew a line through the middle separating it into two rectangles, one on top of each other. Then, with a quick downward slash she cut the top rectangle into two squares. 

The tingle was stronger now and Drake couldn’t help grinning. “Mrs. Ambersole, would you be willing to come down to the station with me and answer some more questions?” 

“Why of course, detective.” Her smile matched his for enthusiasm. “Just let me get my coat.” 

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Marge. This is Detective Adams. We’re working together on this case.” Drake waved a hand towards JJ who stood to shake Marge’s hand. 

“Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?” JJ smiled, the picture of a perfect host despite his surroundings. 

“Some tea would be lovely. Thank you. There is a chill in the air and my old bones are feeling it.” 

JJ chuckled. “Sugar and lemon?” 

“Yes please.” Marge smiled, obviously charmed by the attention. 

“I’ll be right back.” JJ excused himself before striding off towards the break room. 

Drake settled down at his desk then pulled out a legal tablet and uncapped a pen. “Okay, tell me what you know about Mrs. Lindstrum’s son.” 

“That’s not his name. Lindstrum. Edith didn’t know she was pregnant when Jerry went to jail. When she found out she divorced him. She gave the boy her maiden name so there wouldn’t be any connection between them. His name is Robinette. Peter Robinette.” 

Drake made a note on his legal pad. That explained why there was no mention of a child in any of Lindstrum’s records. “I didn’t know that. Thanks.” 

“Here’s your tea.” JJ reappeared with a steaming white ceramic mug in his hands. “It’s hot so you might want to let it cool before you drink it.” He set it down on the corner of Drake’s desk then pulled up his chair to join them. 

“Thank you.” Marge smiled. “Peter’s always been a strange boy. He used to play with my boys when he was younger. He’s always had a thing for fire. Carried matches with him from the time he was a little bitty thing. When he was in high school he set a fire in the bathroom and almost burned the place down. That was the first time he went to the hospital.” 

“The first time?” Drake exchanged a look with JJ. 

“Oh, yes.” Marge blew on her tea before attempting a sip. “The poor boy’s been in three or four times. He was doing well for a while then about two years ago he started getting really strange again. About six months after that the police had to come and take him back. He’s been out a month or so now.” She took another sip and frowned. “It’s sad really. He’s the only family Edith has and each time he has to go away she gets more angry and bitter. Life’s been hard for her.” 

Drake nodded his agreement. He could relate to the feeling of life not going the way you planned more than he wanted to admit to. Giving himself a mental shake he returned his attention to Marge and the case. “You said he hospitalized about a year and a half ago. Do you remember when exactly that was?” 

Marge considered, sipping her tea. “Must have been around Easter time. I remember because I was out with my granddaughters buying them shoes when the police came.” The first two fires had been set the middle of April so the time line fit. Drake could feel himself getting excited though he tried not to let it show. “Do you remember what hospital he was at?” 

“Bellevue I believe. I think that’s what Edith said.” She frowned then relaxed smiling. “Yes, I’m sure that was it.” 

“Excuse me.” JJ smiled and stood. “It was wonderful to meet you, Marge, but unfortunately I have to get back to work.” He shot Drake a look that clearly said he was going to get started on the process it would take to subpoena Robinette’s psych records. Looking up his police reports would be much simpler and would give them a place to start building enough of a case to get a warrant to search his apartment. 

“It was lovely to meet you too, Detective Adams.” Marge smiled back. “Thank you for the tea.” 

“My pleasure.” 

“What a nice young man you have for a partner.” She turned to Drake, giving him her full attention. “Very thoughtful.” 

“I think so.” Drake agreed not even having to force himself to be amenable for the sake of appeasing the witness. 

“Oh, I know.” Marge chuckled. “I can tell by the way that you look at him.” 

Drake blinked, startled. Well, that was something he was going to have to think about. Apparently he wasn’t doing nearly as good a job keeping his feelings hidden as he thought if even a stranger could see it on his face.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

For the second time in less than twenty four hours Drake knocked on the door of apartment 609. The difference was, this time he was backed up JJ, Dee, Ryo, Ted, and a piece of paper that allowed him and his friends entrance as well as the right to seize anything that might count as evidence. “NYPD Mrs. Lindstrum, open the door please.” 

Almost immediately the door was yanked open. Mrs. Lindstrum stood in the doorway, hands on hips, glaring intensely at Drake. “I told you before. I got nothing more to say to you.” 

Ted stepped forward, a folded bunch of papers in his hand. “That’s okay ma’am, we’ve got a warrant to search the premises so it doesn’t matter if you want to make conversation or not.” 

She looked through the papers then moved to the side allowing them to enter, a heavy frown dominating her features. “You can look all you want. My boy isn’t here and he isn’t coming back. I sent him away.”

Dee took Mrs. Lindstrum’s arm and led her to a chair. He stood next to her, his right hand resting lightly on the butt of his pistol.

“If you’ll keep an eye on her we’ll check out the rest of the place.” Drake asked Dee as he slid past. Dee shot Drake a smirk and followed it up with a two finger salute though the tension in his stance belied his casual response. 

With Drake in the lead the rest of the team quickly swept through the apartment, clearing each room in succession. The last room, at the end of the hall, was graced with a handwritten sign that stated ‘STAY OUT OR DIE’ in large block style letters. Drake knocked, waited the space of thirty seconds for a response before announcing himself. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked and it swung silently inward on recently oiled hinges. A visual scan showed no sign of movement or life of any kind. 

“Holy shit.” Ted’s ear in his ear kicked Drake out of mission mode and he let himself actually see the interior of the room for the first time. The segmented square that had defined each arson scene covered each of the walls and the ceiling. Glossy black paint stood out against the once white paint that was now discolored from years of neglect. A ragged roll of carpet that had presumably once covered the floor was stuffed into the closet. It revealed slats of the same golden wood that the staircase had been made out of. This had also been given the same treatment as the walls and ceiling. Next to the closet was dirty black sleeping bag that had also been divided into same geometric pattern though this time the material of choice had been electrician’s tape. 

“I’ll call Jim.” Ryo pulled out his cell and moved away from the others, speaking quietly into it. 

Carefully Drake moved into the room, studiously avoiding stepping on any of the lines. 

“Jesus, this guy is a complete nutcase.” Ted stood blinking in the middle of the room as if he couldn’t quite process what he was seeing. The bright red of his hair stood out sharply in contrast to the stark blacks and whites. 

JJ sighed and holstered his weapon. “You don’t do repeat visits at Bellevue because you have a good grasp on reality.” 

“Amen to that.” Ted nodded in agreement. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Ah, there you are.” Jim looked up from the legal pad that he was taking notes on. 

JJ nodded, an unusually serious expression on his face. “You said you found something that we would want to see.” 

“I did.” Jim pushed back his chair and stood. “We’ll get to that in a minute.” JJ and Drake exchanged a look, then each nodded his agreement. They had both learned that there was no rushing Jim. He had his own way of doing things and nothing was going to get him to change it. “We found a stockpile of gasoline, matches and what looks like rolls of wick hidden behind the carpet in the closet.” 

“How much was there?” JJ shifted nervously from one foot to the other. 

“ A five gallon container of gasoline, two big boxes of wooden camping matches - there was a thousand in each box, and three small spools of wick.” Jim ticked each item off on his fingers as he said it.

“He was planning another fire. Probably soon if he had the stuff in his room ready to go.” Drake made a face indicating his complete lack of happiness at this information. 

Jim grinned and nodded, his ponytail bouncing from the motion. “I bet you’d like to know where and when.” 

“Yeah, but its not like he left us a note or anything.” JJ paused studying Jim’s face with rapidly narrowing eyes. “Or did he?” 

“Not a note exactly, but something just as good.” Moving at a leisurely pace Jim pulled on a pair of purple gloves before picking up an over sized evidence bag that was sitting on a counter to one side of the room. Reverently he carried it to one of the stainless steel lab tables, gesturing for Drake and JJ to join him. When they were standing next to him he opened the bag and removed what appeared to be a map. It was folded into the shape of a large square with sharp, careful creases. The warehouse district was showing and drawn on top of it was the pattern that they had become so familiar with. 

“This is better than a note!” JJ reached for the map only to have his hand slapped with a set of gloves that matched Jim’s. 

“No touching the evidence without protection.” He grinned and handed Drake a pair as JJ quickly pulled his on. 

Now properly covered JJ pulled the map towards himself. “Where did you find this?” 

“Stuffed way down at the end of the sleeping bag along with a pair of boxers that are in bad need of a wash.” 

JJ made a face and shuddered at the thought. “That is just disgusting.” 

“Tell me about it.” Jim wrinkled his nose. “I vacuum sealed that bad boy.” 

Drake smiled weakly, his brain still stuck on the visual of JJ shuddering. Drake had only recently begun to realize how often JJ had that particular reaction to things. It was becoming a distraction of epic portions especially now that Drake knew he had no chance to ever see it in the context he really wanted to. He’d been doing a mostly good job of keeping his attention on the case since the night he and Dee had gotten into it at the bar, but with things winding down his mind was starting to drift again. Worse than that, he had caught himself half hoping their suspect would get away so the case wouldn’t be closed just yet. That was not a good sign. 

“...Drake!” 

“Wha..?” Drake gave himself a mental shake. Now was not the time to lose his edge. Focus on the job, that was what he had said he was going to do. Put all his time and energy into his work. Too bad that didn’t seem to be working out for him anymore. 

“Jim and I think that the red dots indicate the places where the fires have been set and the lines are just to connect them. Notice anything strange?” 

Frowning, Drake forced himself to study the map. Bending down so that he was closer he noticed that there was a date next to each red dot, written lightly in pencil. “There’s dates on here.” JJ nodded, a smile of proud amusement tugging at his lips. “We should be able to match them up to the fires. That will help tie him to them.” 

“Yep.” JJ nodded eagerly. “There’s something else too.” 

Drake’s frown deepened and he returned his attention to the map. It took him another moment of studying before he realized that the red dot in the middle of the square was missing the heavy black circle that surrounded the others. When he checked the date he couldn’t suppress a grin. Unlike the others it wouldn’t occur for two more days. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Thank you.” Ryo stepped through the open door of the store and waited until Drake let several other shoppers in before falling into step beside him. “Do you have any idea what you’re looking for?” 

“Clothes?” Drake shrugged helplessly. “Something that will look better than what I have now.” 

“Okay.” Ryo smiled. “Well some ties will help. You can wear them with different shirts and get new combinations that way. A few shirts and some slacks too so you can mix and match. The ones you have now seem loose.” 

Drake wasn’t sure what to think of the last comment. He hadn’t been aware that Ryo had even noticed he was around let alone what he was wearing. It made Drake wonder if he was the only one who didn’t pay attention to how his squad mates dressed. At least Ted looked worse than he did. Most of the time anyway. “I’ve never really done this on my own. I usually took whoever I was dating when I absolutely had no choice and then I just got the first things that fit or whatever they told me to.” Drake cringed at the look Ryo shot him. “It never seemed important before.” 

Ryo sighed and shook his head. “You’re worse than Bikky. At least he knows what he likes even if I have to drag him to the store. How is it that you are completely lacking in vanity?” 

“Just lucky?” Drake grinned ruefully. “Too focused on my career?” 

“Remember who you’re talking to.” Ryo snorted in amusement. 

All in all the shopping was not nearly as painful as Drake had expected. In less than two hours they had picked out half a dozen ties, three pairs of slacks and four new shirts. As they were heading for the cashier Ryo grabbed Drake’s arm and pulled him to the side. In front of them were a couple of racks of marked down coats. 

“I thought we were done.” Drake blushed at the whine he could hear in his voice. Right now he wasn’t feeling much different from Bikky. 

“We were, but you really need a better coat. What is the point of having new clothes if all anyone sees is this thing.” Ryo tugged lightly on the garment that Drake had draped over his arm.” 

“I’m about at the end of my budget.” Drake’s gaze flicked to the racks then back to Ryo. 

“There’s no harm in looking.” Ryo was already tugging Drake forward, using his best reasonable voice. “If we don’t find anything decent in your price range then we can go.” 

“Okay.” 

“How about this one?” Ryo was already pulling coats off and looking at them. “Its a good color for you.” 

Drake took the coat, a heavy charcoal grey, and shrugged it on, noticing immediately that the arms were too short. With a shake of his head he handed it back to Ryo. The next one, a gorgeous houndstooth in shades of cream and brown was too tight across the shoulders. After the third, red and at least a size too big, he was ready to quit. He was opening his mouth to say so when Ryo pulled out a final coat. This one was made of soft dark blue wool and was lined with silky material that was cool to the touch. 

It slid on easily and fit as if it had been tailored for him. Carefully, Drake did up the buttons then moved to the side to admire himself in the mirror. The bottom hem hit him mid-thigh and the double breasted design complimented Drake’s lean frame. He turned slightly looking this way then that. For the first time in his life Drake understood what it meant to fall in love with a piece of clothing. Nervously he plucked at the tag hanging from the left sleeve before steeling himself for a look. 

“How much is it?” Ryo’s voice cut through the haze in Drake’s brain. 

“A hundred and twenty five dollars.” Drake sighed and began undoing the buttons. 

“That is not bad for a well made wool coat. It looks like good quality so it should last for a while and it looks sharp on you.” Ryo cocked his head studying the garment carefully. 

“That would completely wipe me out.” Drake sighed again and shrugged off the coat. 

“It brings out your eyes and looks great on you.” Ryo smiled, a little bit of mischief showing in his eyes. “JJ loves wool. He wears it all the time.” 

“Damn it.” Drake groaned, “Okay. I’ll get it, but that means I’m going to be watching the games at your place for at least one more season. 

Ryo chuckled. “That’s fine, Dee love the company. Just bring beer.” 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Is that coat new?” JJ cocked his head to the side, studying Drake with a level of intensity that made him shift in place. “It is. So are the slacks.” 

Drake nodded, a pleased smile spreading over his features. He leaned against the car and relaxed. It was still early and their firebug had set all of his previous blazes in the wee hours of the night. Of course, that didn’t mean this one would be the same. That was the thing about dealing with a suspect who was seriously mentally ill, they were even more unpredictable than most people because you never knew what was going on in their heads. Not that so called sane people always did what you expected them to, but they were more likely to follow recognizable patterns. “Yep. I got them yesterday.” 

“With what money?” JJ’s eyes narrowed. “I had to buy you lunch Thursday because you were supposedly broke.” 

“I was. I am.” Drake scrambled to explain in a way that would make JJ stop giving him that disapproving look. “I was saving up to buy a new TV because mine is a piece of crap, but I needed clothes more.” 

JJ sighed and shook his head, but his expression softened. “I guess that’s a good reason.” 

Drake relaxed again, snuggling down into the warmth of his new coat and sighed. “It’s really soft and warm compared to my old one.” 

“It’s a good wool.” JJ reached over and ran his hand across Drake’s shoulder and down his arm in a slow motion, caressing the material under his fingertips. It was all that Drake could do to suppress the moan that stopped up his throat and took his breath away. 

“I…” His voice sounded breathless and husky to his ears. “I wasn’t going to get it at first, but Ryo talked me into it.” 

“Ryo?” The confusion showed plain on his face and Drake thought he could hear a hint of hurt underneath it. “Did you run into him at the store?” 

“No.” Drake shifted his attention back to the warehouse they had been watching. “I mentioned to him that I needed some stuff and he offered to help me shop.” 

JJ nodded, but he looked down then away before speaking. “So when you wanted to get new clothes you asked Ryo instead of me?” The hurt was plain in his voice now and it cut through Drake in a way that he wouldn’t have thought possible. 

“We went Saturday.” Drake rushed forward letting his mouth engage before his brain. “I thought you’d be spending the day with Jake.” At JJ’s confused look he hurried on. “You know, your boyfriend, Jake? The guy who came to visit you at the station the other day?.” 

“You think Jake is my boyfriend?” JJ frowned, his forehead wrinkling in confusion. After a moment his body started to shake as he worked to suppress the laughter that seemed to take over. “Why would you think that?” 

Confused, Drake hurried to answer the question put before him. “I...I don’t know. I guess I just figured...I mean you seemed really close and he is the kind of guy I thought you’d go for. Smart, rich, funny and good looking. He even has wavy dark hair like Dee....” Drake trailed off, running a hand through his bangs in frustration. “You deserve someone great like that. Someone who knows you like sushi and can afford to take you out to the best places.”

“Oh, Drake.” JJ shook his head then reached out to put a hand on Drake’s shoulder. “You’re right, Jake and I are tight, but not like that. We’ve been best friends since we were little. He’s the closest thing I have to a brother.” He squeezed Drake’s shoulder lightly then let go. 

“Does that mean you don’t have a boyfriend?” 

JJ shook his head. “No...damn it! I just saw someone down by the warehouse. We’ll talk about this later.” 

Drake’s cop instincts took over shuffling the conversation into another folder in his head. Both men drew their weapons and keeping to the shadows crept towards the side door of the warehouse. It had been closed and locked when they had done their initial inspection of the place, but now it stood slightly open. 

Drake nodded then gestured to indicate that he would follow JJ. One after another they slid in keeping close to the walls. Inside the warehouse was dark and a thick layer of dust coated everything. A single figure, back lit by the beam of a bright flashlight, was moving near the center of the building. He appeared to be pouring something, but it was too dark to know with any level of certainty. 

They exchanged a look then slipped back out of the building, moving far enough away that they could speak in whispers without risking being heard. 

Within the space of a minute JJ had his phone out and was texting Ted to let him know that the suspect had been sighted. Their back up, in the form of Ted, Dee and Ryo, were on other side streets so that all of the approaches to the warehouse were covered. Drake contacted Ryo who said he and Dee were on their way. With the other officers moving in to secure the perimeter Drake and JJ headed back towards the warehouse. At the door JJ gestured to indicate that he would go right and Drake should go left so that they could flank Robinette. Drake nodded his agreement before following JJ inside. 

After giving his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness Drake began the slow process of working his way around to the other side. It was slow going as the floor was cluttered with debris from when it had been actively used. When he was about halfway down the wall there was a clang of metal hitting cement and he froze. 

“Who’s there?” Robinette stopped, his head pivoting to look around, casting a strange shadow on the wall. “Who’s there?” He repeated himself, louder this time. Slowly he began moving in the direction of the sound. “You can’t stop me. I won’t let you.” He paused and set the flashlight down then pulled a long thin object from his pocket. There was the sound of a click and a flame burst from the end to reveal itself as a modified barbecue grill lighter. Even at the distance he was Drake could hear the man’s breathing speed up as he looked down at the flame. Abruptly he raised his head and began walking towards where the sound had come from. Drake picked up speed, his eyes never leaving the suspect. 

When Robinette was almost to the far wall JJ stepped out from behind a stack of pallets, gun drawn and pointing at the suspect’s chest. “Turn off the lighter and set it down. No one is going to hurt you, I promise.” 

“No! I have work to do. This city must be marked for the coming of the end of days.” His voice was flat, but not emotionless. “Important work.” 

“I understand that.” JJ’s tone was low and soothing, but his gun did not waiver. “We can talk about it once you put down the lighter.” 

“NO!” Robinette’s voice rose in volume and pitch until it sounded more like a wail than words. “Go away! Go away! Go away! Go away!”

From the angle of his approach Drake could now see that Robinette had not put down the container he had been carrying before as Drake had thought. Instead, had held it close to his leg so that it’s shadow merged with his. As Robinette became more agitated he began to swing it back and forth like a metronome keeping time with the beat of his emotions. The sound of splashing liquid hit Drake’s ears at the same time he smelled high octane gasoline. 

Things seem to move in slow motion as Drake realized that the suspect was raising the container then pulling it back in preparation to douse JJ, the lighter held out in anticipation of setting the fumes from the liquid alight. Without consciously processing what he was doing Drake put on a burst of speed, his only thought to keep JJ safe. 

In an instant Drake was between them, the force of the impact carrying him and JJ to the ground. There was a sound like a giant inhale that hit Drake’s ears as they were skidding across the floor. The smell of burning wool hit his nostrils even as the sensation of heat made itself known to the skin on his back. Pain was next, followed by the feeling of being rolled over and over. From far away he could hear voices, lots of voices, yelling, before everything faded to black.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Drake woke up slowly, his head felt like it was wrapped in cotton, and everything was too bright. Even his teeth had the fuzzy feel of an impending horrific morning after. He opened his eyes a tiny bit and looked around, taking in the handmade quilt that was draped over him. The walls were tastefully aged brick and there was a fireplace directly across from him. This was definitely not his place. When he turned slightly onto his side in an attempt to see more a screaming blaze of pain lanced heat hit him, taking his breath and causing him to dry heave. He collapsed back onto the couch with a whimpered sob before falling back into welcome oblivion.

When he awoke the next time, he lay still, blinking and giving his memory time to creep back in. He had a sensation of time having passed though it was shrouded in a haze of pain and good drugs. This time when he shifted he did so slowly, pausing often to rest and allow his muscles to stretch. The pain was still there, but it was a low aching throb instead of the diamond sharp point of being stabbed. Carefully he eased himself into a sitting position and let out of huge breath. He could feel the cloudiness in his mind starting to clear somewhat as well. 

Moving had helped with the cramped feeling in his legs so he eased himself up onto his feet. The change in position caused the pressure on his bladder to make itself known. 

He was debating whether to attempt to find the bathroom on his own or call out and see if anyone was home when JJ appeared in the doorway. “I thought I heard you.” He smiled, pleased to see Drake up and moving. “Are you hungry?” 

After considering the question for a moment Drake nodded. “Yeah, I am. Feels like I haven’t eaten anything for a week.” 

“Three days actually.” JJ’s smile softened. “Though you did have soup a few times. The doctor said you would probably sleep most of the time which is what you did.” 

“Oh.” The need to empty his bladder made itself known again and he flinched. “I need to take a piss. Bad.” He looked around again, but he continued to draw a blank about where the bathroom was. 

“Do you want me to help you?” JJ offered his arm for Drake to lean on which Drake took happily. He was feeling a lot steadier now that he was up and moving a bit, but that didn’t mean he was going to pass up the chance to be close.

Straight ahead was the kitchen and off to the left was a hallway. Drake realized he hadn’t seen it before because it was out of his field of vision. JJ stopped in front of the first door on the right and eased it open. Inside was a large bathroom that was easily nicer than Drake’s apartment. It was certainly cleaner. 

“I can make it from here.” Drake pulled away and walked slowly, but mostly steadily, on his own. Through sheer force of will he did not allow himself to think about the fact that JJ had probably been helping him pee the last few days. It wasn’t like they hadn’t stood side by side at the urinals before, but this was different. Much more intimate somehow. It certainly shouldn’t make him feel as happy as it did. 

Several minutes later when Drake emerged from the bathroom JJ pushed off the wall he leaning against. “Better?” He asked with only a slight hint of a smirk. 

“Much. Now food.” Drake took JJ’s arm and once again let himself be helped though this time they made the turn into the kitchen. The room was cozy and warm, filled with light colored woods and bright colors. It was large enough to contain a full sized cooking area as well as a space for a table and chairs. Lying on one of the counters was a large white box from one of the more exclusive boutiques in town. It was a place he had heard JJ mention, but would never consider shopping at himself. More importantly, at least to Drake’s mind, was the sandwich makings sitting not far from it. 

When Drake was settled in one of the surprisingly comfortable chairs JJ retrieved the food stuff and moved it over to the table. 

“You have Havarti.” Drake picked up the package, recognizing it from the lunch that he and JJ had shared when they’d first started the case. 

“Of course.” JJ traded Drake the turkey he had finished using for the cheese. 

“What’s happening with the case?” Drake finished making his sandwich and took a bite, chewing slowly and savoring the feel of eating. 

“Not much.” JJ rose and crossed to the fridge. He returned with two bottles of water and handed one to Drake. “You need to drink a lot so you stay hydrated.”

“Thanks.” Drake did as he was told, draining a quarter of the bottle in his first go. 

“The assistant DA added attempted murder of a police officer to the charges. Robinette was held over for trial and shipped to Bellevue for a psych eval. Once the results are in then a decision will be made what to do with him.” JJ took a bite of his sandwich, chewed then swallowed. “There wasn’t enough to make an obstruction of justice charge stick for the mom so they let her go with a warning.”

“Did he explain about the boxes?” 

JJ shook his head and took another bite. “Not really. I think he tried to, but what he said didn’t make sense outside of his head. Maybe once he is back on his meds he’ll be able to tell us in a way that we can understand.”

“Maybe.” Drake wasn’t going to hold his breath on that one. The suspects he had dealt with previously didn’t understand what they were thinking either once they were stabilized on meds. He let his gaze wander and it landed on the box once again. “You’ve been shopping.” 

“Yes! The courier delivered it an hour or so ago when you were sleeping.” JJ set his food to the side and stood. He moved over to the counter and opened the box. Drake could hear the crinkle of tissue paper though JJ blocked his view. When he turned Drake could see that JJ was holding a dark blue coat very similar to the one Drake had just bought and worn only once. There was no doubt if his back was burned as badly as it seemed to be that his coat had not survived the experience.

“What do you think?” JJ held it up, his eyes never leaving Drake’s face. 

“It’s nice.” 

JJ’s smile slipped a little, but almost immediately brightened. “Stand up. Lets see how it fits.” 

Obediently Drake rose to his feet and stood patiently while JJ slid the coat onto him with touches that were feather soft. The material was warm and sat lightly on his shoulders. The lines flowed smoothly and even where it touched the tender spots on his back it didn’t cause any pain. Smiling and nodding JJ ran his hands down the front in a way that added a whole new level of confusion to Drake’s already befuddled mind. 

“Perfect! The darker blue brings out your eyes. That’s what I thought.” 

“Okay.” Drake frowned, confused. “Why does it matter what your coat does for my eyes?” 

“It’s not my coat, silly.” JJ grinned then began to laugh at the look on Drake’s face. “It’s yours. Your new one was ruined so it needed to be replaced.” 

“I can’t take this.” Drake reached for the buttons to take it off; immediately regretting the sudden movement as it sent a sharp flash of pain across his back. “It costs way too much. I mean I can’t even afford to go into that place.” Drake gestured towards the box. “Let alone buy anything. I’d be worried about ruining it the whole time I was wearing it.” 

The smile vanished from JJ’s face, replaced by a look of hurt and sadness. His words, when he finally spoke, were low and heavily tainted with disappointment. “You saved my life. I just wanted to thank you. I didn’t think it was that much.” He swallowed, turning his face away from Drake. “I tried to find a copy of the one you had, but they were sold out. This is the closest thing available. Besides, I figured my life was at least worth the price of a coat.”

“I didn’t mean that.” Drake had moved closer and was now standing in JJ’s personal space. “Of course its worth a coat. All the coats. All the gloves and hats and boots too.” He knew he was rambling, but some how he couldn’t stop now that he had started. “All the outerwear, the inner wear too. Everything, its worth everything. You’re worth everything.” He paused, ignoring the pain to bend a little so that he could look JJ in the eye. “I didn’t do it because I wanted you to buy me something. I did it because you mean more to me than a stupid coat or suit or my life.” 

Taking a deep breath Drake leaned forward and pressed his lips gently to JJ’s, leaning into the kiss as if it was the only thing that would keep him alive. After an initial startle, JJ returned it eagerly, his hands coming up to grip Drake’s t-shirt on either side of his waist. When the kiss broke Drake was swaying, but happier than he had been in a long time. He let JJ ease him back into the chair and sat, a dazed grin on his face. JJ sat down next to him taking Drake’s hand and stroking the back softly with his thumb. 

“I’m going to buy you a lot of expensive gifts so you need to get used to it.” JJ leaned in for another quick kiss to silence Drake’s anticipated response. “I like to spoil my boyfriends. I’ve been told its a bad habit, but I don’t plan to change it any time soon.” 

“Okay.” Drake’s grin widened though he didn’t think that was possible. “As long as you keep kissing me.”

“No problem.” JJ scooted his chair over so that he could lean gently against Drake’s shoulder. “I really like doing that too.” 

“Yeah.” Drake agreed happily. “Me too.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [relying on more than intuition](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7964950) by [ideare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ideare/pseuds/ideare)




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